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The National Transportation Safety Board says about 75% of the fatal airline accidents in the U.S. over the past 10 years could have been prevented with better flight simulators. Pilots do not receive sufficient training in in-flight emergencies such as an aerodynamic stall because most of the simulators currently in use cannot accurately reproduce such cockpit conditions, according to the NTSB. The board has endorsed updated simulator training for pilots, but the FAA says it prefers to stress training on avoiding such emergency conditions in the first place.

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General aviation safety has again been included on the National Transportation Safety Board's yearly list of "most wanted safety improvements." Through accident investigations, the NTSB has found that in many cases pilots lacked "adequate knowledge, skills or recurrent training to fly safely, particularly in questionable weather conditions." The board recommends additional weather information, simulator and avionics training.

The National Transportation Safety Board says about 75% of the fatal airline accidents in the U.S. over the past 10 years could have been prevented with better flight simulators. Pilots do not receive sufficient training in in-flight emergencies such as an aerodynamic stall because most of the simulators currently in use cannot accurately reproduce such cockpit conditions, according to the NTSB. The board has endorsed updated simulator training for pilots, but the FAA says it prefers to stress training on avoiding such emergency conditions in the first place.

The NTSB on Tuesday is scheduled to make its final report on the fatal crash in February 2009 of a Colgan Air commuter flight near Buffalo, N.Y., but experts are still uncertain how best to prevent such accidents in the future. The NTSB is expected to examine issues related to pilot training, management and professionalism, as well as "personal wireless technology" use in the cockpit. Meanwhile, family members of crash victims have been lobbying Congress for stricter laws on pilot fatigue.

The National Transportation Safety Board is concerned about electrical problems on some Airbus jetliners. It is urging regulators in Europe and the U.S. to require aircraft fixes and improve pilot training. The electrical problems have blacked out cockpit displays on dozens of planes.

The National Transportation Safety Board is concerned about electrical problems on some Airbus jetliners. It is urging regulators in Europe and the U.S. to require aircraft fixes and improve pilot training. The electrical problems have blacked out cockpit displays on dozens of planes.